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Banded bullfrog

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Banded bullfrog
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Genus: Kaloula
Species:
K. pulchra
Binomial name
Kaloula pulchra
Gray, 1831

The banded bullfrog (Kaloula pulchra) is a type of frog in the microhylid (narrow-mouthed frog) family. It is also known as the Asian painted frog, Malaysian painted frog, Burmese painted frog, rice frog, and bubble frog. In the pet trade, it is sometimes called the chubby frog. They have round bodies with mahogany brown backs and cream stomachs. The distinctive stripes down the side can range from copper-brown to salmon pink in color. Males have darker throats than females. Frogs grow to about 8 cm (3 in) with females generally being larger than males. They may live for as long as 10 years.[2] Although prevalent in the pet trade, very little is known regarding its behaviour in the wild. They exude a sticky mucus when threatened, which is not toxic but has an unpleasant taste.[3]

Taxonomy

The banded bullfrog was first described in 1831 by the British zoologist John Edward Gray, as Kaloula pulchra (pulchra meaning "beautiful" in Latin).[4] Cantor (1847) described the species under the name Hylaedactylus bivittatus,[5] which was synonymized with K. pulchra by Günther (1858).[6] The subspecies K. p. hainana was described by Gressitt (1938) as having a shorter snout and hind legs compared to the nominate subspecies, K. p. pulchra.[7] A former subspecies in Sri Lanka, originally named K. p. taprobanica by Parker (1934), has since been reclassified as a separate species, Uperodon taprobanicus.[8]

Distribution and habitat

Juvenile Banded bullfrog in a drop of water on a sacred lotus leaf, in Laos.

The banded bullfrog is native to Southeast Asia.[9] It is common over a range from northeastern India to southern China, and south to the islands of maritime Southeast Asia.[10][11] Its wide distribution, compared to the related species Kaloula assamensis, has been attributed to its burrowing ability.[12] Banded bullfrogs have been introduced to Borneo, Guam, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Its introduction into the Philippines was likely accidental, via contamination of plant nursery materials or stowaways on ships and boats.[9]

The banded bullfrog has been found at elevations between sea level and 750 m (2,460 ft) above sea level.[13] It can occur in both urban and rural settings, and in forest habitats.[14]

Behaviour

Banded bull frog call
Calling sound of several banded bullfrogs
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An inflated banded bull frog

In India, the frogs call after the first heavy monsoon showers in April–May. The males call while afloat in pools of water. The pulses of the calls recorded in India were 28–56 per second with a frequency range of 50–1760 Hz. In Thailand the dominant frequency was 250 Hz (duration 560–600 ms long) and 18–21 pulses/call.[15] Banded bullfrogs are known to inflate their bodies when they're threatened, while releasing a latex-like substance.[16]

Banded bullfrog tadpoles are black, with transparent fins and eyes. It doesn't possess any tail filament.[16] The tadpoles can metamorphose in as little as two weeks.[17]

They are also able to survive dry conditions by burying themselves in the ground and waiting for rain.[18] When burrowing they dig their way down back feet first.[12] Banded bullfrogs hide under leaf litter during the day hours and eat in the evening. They have been found in trees and have been observed hunting termites in them.[19]

Diet

These frogs are voracious eaters, and will eat flies, crickets, moths, grasshoppers, earthworms and more. These frogs are big eaters and are very slow. They are primarily ant specialists, consuming up to a couple hundred ants in one night, and can often be found sitting along an ant trail picking off individuals one by one. Mealworms can be fed once a week or so if one frog is kept at home, but should not make up most of its diet. They can be used as a laxative.

Invasive species

The species is a potential invasive species. It has been introduced through both the pet trade and maritime transport, and has become established in Taiwan, the Philippines,[20] Guam,[21] Singapore, Borneo and Sulawesi with specimens noted in Australia and New Zealand.[22][23][24] An invasive population was observed in Florida in 2006 and later in 2011, likely through the pet trade; however, the invasive population is under control.[25] In 2005 this frog was observed at an airport in Perth, and at a cargo port in New Zealand, but no established invasive population has been found in either Australia or New Zealand.[25]

Pet trade

Banded bullfrogs are commonly sold in pet stores. They are sensitive to chlorine in water. They are maintained in aquariums with substrate choices consisting of peat–soil mixes or potting soil with sphagnum moss. They need high humidity and prefer temperatures of 70–80 °F (21–27 °C).

References

  1. ^ Kuangyang; et al. (2004). "Kaloula pulchra". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T57855A86163405. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T57855A11694615.en.
  2. ^ Snider, A.T. & J.K. Bowler. (1992). Longevity of Reptiles and Amphibians in North American Collections. Second edition. Herpetological Circular No. 21.
  3. ^ "Banded Bullfrog - Kaloula pulchra". www.ecologyasia.com.
  4. ^ Gray, John Edward (1831). "Description of two new genera of Frogs discovered by John Reeves, Esq. in China". The zoological miscellany: to be continued occasionally. London: Treuttel, Wurtz and Co., G.B. Sowerby, W. Wood. p. 38. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.113722. OCLC 2319292.
  5. ^ Cantor, Theodore (1847). Catalogue of reptiles inhabiting the Malayan peninsula and islands. Calcutta: J. Thomas. pp. 143–145. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.5057.
  6. ^ Günther, Albert (1858). Catalogue of the Batrachia Salientia in the collection of the British Museum. London: Taylor & Francis. p. 123. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.8326. OCLC 1098151.
  7. ^ Gressitt, J. Linsley (1938). "A new burrowing frog and a new lizard from Hainan Island". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 51. Biological Society of Washington: 127–130 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  8. ^ Garg, Sonali; Senevirathne, Gayani; Wijayathilaka, Nayana; Phuge, Samadhan; Deuti, Kaushik; Manamendra-Arachchi, Kelum; Meegaskumbura, Madhava; Biju, Sd (2018). "An integrative taxonomic review of the South Asian microhylid genus Uperodon". Zootaxa. 4384 (1): 1–88. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4384.1.1. PMID 29689915.
  9. ^ a b Pili, Arman N.; Sy, Emerson Y.; Diesmos, Mae Lowe L.; Diesmos, Arvin C. (2019). "Island Hopping in a Biodiversity Hotspot Archipelago: Reconstructed Invasion History and Updated Status and Distribution of Alien Frogs in the Philippines". Pacific Science. 73 (3): 321–343. doi:10.2984/73.3.2.
  10. ^ Christy, Michelle T.; Clark, Craig S.; Gee, David E.; Vice, Diane; Vice, Daniel S.; Warner, Mitchell P.; Tyrrell, Claudine L.; Rodda, Gordon H.; Savidge, Julie A. (2007). "Recent Records of Alien Anurans on the Pacific Island of Guam". Pacific Science. 61 (4): 469–483. doi:10.2984/1534-6188(2007)61[469:RROAAO]2.0.CO;2.
  11. ^ Yeung, Ho Yuen (2021). "Heterospecific Amplexus Between a Male Paddy Frog, Fejervarya multistriata (Hallowell 1861) (Anura: Dicroglossidae), and a Male Banded Bullfrog, Kaloula pulchra Gray 1831 (Anura: Microhylidae), from Hong Kong". Reptiles & Amphibians. 28 (2): 350–351. doi:10.17161/randa.v28i2.15471.
  12. ^ a b Soud, Rakesh; Mazumdar, Kripaljyoti; Gupta, Abhik (December 2012). "Defensive and burrowing behaviour of Kaloula assamensis Das et al., 2004 and Kaloula pulchra Gray, 1831 (Microhylidae)" (PDF). Frog Leg. 18: 48–50. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  13. ^ Shahrudin, Shahriza (2021). "Defensive behavior of Banded Bullfrogs, Kaloula pulchra Gray 1831 (Anura: Microhylidae) from Kedah, peninsular Malaysia". Reptiles & Amphibians. 28 (1): 139–141. doi:10.17161/randa.v28i1.15371.
  14. ^ Bringsøe, Henrik; Suthanthangjai, Maneerat; Suthanthangjai, Winai; Lodder, Jo; Komanasin, Navapol (2021). "Gruesome twosome kukri rippers: Oligodon formosanus (Günther, 1872) and O. fasciolatus (Günther, 1864) eat Kaloula pulchra Gray, 1831 either by eviscerating or swallowing whole". Herpetozoa. 34: 49–55. doi:10.3897/herpetozoa.34.e62688.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  15. ^ Kanamadi RD; GG Kadadevaru & H Schneider (2002). "Advertisement Call and Breeding Period of the Frog, Kaloula pulchra (Microhylidae)" (PDF). Herpetological Review. 33 (1): 19–21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
  16. ^ a b http://online-field-guide.com/Kaloulapulchra.htm%7Cname=Online Field Guide Banded Bull Frog
  17. ^ Richard D. Bartlett; Patricia P. Bartlett (1996). Frogs, Toads, and Treefrogs: Everything About Selection, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, and Behavior. Barron's Educational Series. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-8120-9156-4.
  18. ^ Sharon B. Emerson (1976). "Burrowing in frogs". Journal of Morphology. 149 (4): 437–458. doi:10.1002/jmor.1051490402. PMID 30257534. S2CID 52845429.
  19. ^ Major, Tom; Knierim, Tyler; Barnes, Curt; Lonsdale, George; Waengsothorn, Surachit; Strine, Colin (2017). "Observations of Arboreality in a Burrowing Frog, the Banded Bullfrog, Kaloula pulchra (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae)". Current Herpetology. 36 (2): 148–152. doi:10.5358/hsj.36.148. S2CID 89688886. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  20. ^ Brown, Rafe M.; Oliveros, Carl H.; Siler, Cameron D.; Fernandez, Jason B.; Welton, Luke J.; Buenavente, Perry Archival C.; Diesmos, Mae Lowe L.; Diesmos, Arvin C. (2012). "Amphibians and Reptiles of Luzon Island (Philippines), VII: Herpetofauna of Ilocos Norte Province, Northern Cordillera Mountain Range". Check List. 8 (3): 469–490. doi:10.15560/8.3.469. S2CID 18375419.
  21. ^ Christy, M.; Savidge, J. & Rodda, G. (2007). "Multiple pathways for invasion of anurans on a Pacific island". Diversity & Distributions. 13 (5): 598–607. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2007.00378.x.
  22. ^ Tyler MJ; TF Chapman (2007). "An Asian species of frog (Kaloula pulchra, Microhylidae) intercepted at Perth International Airport, Australia". Applied Herpetology. 4: 86–87. doi:10.1163/157075407779766697.
  23. ^ Gill, B.J.; Bejakovich, D.; Whitaker, A.H. (2001). "Records of foreign reptiles and amphibians accidentally imported to New Zealand". New Zealand Zool. 28 (3): 351–359. doi:10.1080/03014223.2001.9518274. S2CID 85031652.
  24. ^ Inger, R.F. (1966). "The systematics and zoogeography of the amphibia of Borneo". Fieldiana Zoology. 52: 1–402. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3147.
  25. ^ a b "Malaysian Painted Frog (Kaloula pulchra) - Species Profile".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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